Kia Ora Steemians 👋🏼 As a Kiwi, I can only guess at how foreigners perceive my homeland, but my best guess is that we are seen in a similar way to how I view Iceland. Faraway, beautiful and… expensive 🤑
I’ve made this short video to show you my must-visit attractions in Wellington, aka the Coolest Little Capital In The World. I’ll explain each one in more detail in this post, but if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be… an encyclopaedia of visual information? Watch it here!
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▶️ IPFS
Victoria University of Wellington was where I got my degree, so the city is full of nostalgia for me. Having lived here, I knew exactly where I wanted to go back to. First up, to take you straight to the heart of Kiwi politics, our beloved Beehive 🐝
9AM: THE BEEHIVE AND PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS 🇳🇿
If you’re not interested in politics, perhaps just admire the interesting architecture and move on to the Cable Car. But! If you are interested in politics, heading to the Beehive is a great way to immerse yourself in New Zealand politics. If you didn’t know, we’ve recently elected a new Prime Minister, who just happens to be our third female PM. Yay. You can take a one hour guided tour of the Beehive and Parliament Buildings on most days. No photos are allowed though, hence my lack of footage from inside!
10AM: CABLE CAR AND BOTANIC GARDENS 🍃
The entrance situated on Lambton Quay is just a short walk from the Beehive. Technically, you don’t need to take the Cable Car, you can walk up to the Botanic Gardens and save yourself a few dollars, but taking the Cable Car is a much nicer way to get there, trust me. I lived in an apartment near the Cable Car’s route while I was studying, and walking home from the city center kept me very fit.
Source: Absolutely Positively Wellington
11:30AM: ZEALANDIA ECOSANCTUARY 🦉
Did you know that New Zealand’s native wildlife is mostly made up of birds? We have our own special owls, parrots and of course our namesake, the precious Kiwi. Cats, dogs, ferrets, possums, rabbits, rats, mice, sheep, cows… all of these animals were introduced by Europeans and most of them have had a catastrophic impact on our native birdlife. In fact, Captain Cook (the man credited with ‘discovering’ New Zealand) wrote in his diary that the morning birdsong was so loud it would wake you up! Sadly, that vibrant wildlife suffered colonisation and will probably never recover.
But! Places like Zealandia Eco Sanctuary are part of the solution. The sanctuary is a predator-proof 225 ha forested area of restored biodiversity. It’s my top pick of places to visit in Wellington. Just take the free shuttle from the Botanic Gardens to Zealandia. You can choose to walk the sanctuary by yourself, or you can opt for guided tours by day or by night.
1:30PM: CUBA ST ☕️
A visit to Wellington is not complete if you don’t take a little stroll along Cuba St. A large portion of the street is pedestrian only, so it’s a great opportunity to really soak up some fun Welly vibes. Also, Midnight Espresso is on Cuba Street and I LOVE MIDNIGHT ESPRESSO. It was my absolute favourite place to eat out when I lived here and was my first stop upon return. They have a huge menu full of very tasty vegan (and non-vegan) breakfasts, lunches, snacks, treats and more. Cuba Street is also a great place to start a thrift shopping spree as it is home to, or super close to Paper Bag Princess, Recycle Boutique and more.
Source: Midnight Espresso on Facebook
3PM: TE PAPA MUSEUM AND WATERFRONT WALK 🏛
Am I slightly cheating adding more than one thing into some of my top picks? Probably yes. However, unless it is blowing a gale, (which is actually quite likely) walking along the waterfront to Oriental Bay before or after visiting Te Papa adds to the experience. Te Papa is our National Museum so it’s the perfect place to come to learn about New Zealand’s culture and history. There is always something happening at this museum, and it’s so beautifully curated, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
6PM: TEPPANYAKI LIVE SHOW & DINNER 🔥
This was one of my favourite places to come for dinner with my friends when I lived here. The entertainment value of seeing the chef cook your dinner in front of you can't be underrated. They do offer a vegetarian set menu, and if you are vegan, just ask for no egg or butter - they're great with dietary requirements. Best of all - there's a LOT of food. You'll definitely leave with takeaway containers (if that's your style 😜).
9PM: THE EMBASSY THEATRE 📽
Finally, end your day in some of the comfiest chairs in the city. The Embassy Theatre is a really beautiful building, screens all your favourites and have a great bar downstairs. You can even take curly fries or pizza to the theatre rooms if you haven't eaten, or you're just not feeling popcorn vibes 🍿
PRICE GUIDE:
Beehive Tour: Public Tours are free and scheduled throughout most days. Bookings are required.
Cable Car: Adult return tickets are $7.50, and one way is $4.
ZEALANDIA: General Admission is $19.50 per adult, but there are a lot of options, so check out their website here.
Te Papa Museum: General Admission is free, but you can purchase tours.
Embassy Theatre: Movies are usually $15 per adult
Those are my must-visit places to visit in Wellington. I hope you enjoyed reading and watching as much as I enjoyed writing, filming and editing!
Also, remember at the start of this post I mused about how foreigners view my homeland? Well, if you’re not a Kiwi, let me know in the comments what you’re impression of New Zealand is and where you most want to visit!
